Thread finishing machine



May 14,1946. A. E. WINSLOW THREAD FINISHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 11, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q\ Q Q R W .7 NU

INVENTOR I flak/5 Wail/slow ATTORNEYS WMWV/(BMW I May 14, 19 46.

A. E. WINSLOW' THREAD FINISHING MACHINEf Filed Jan. 11, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 14, 1946. A. E. WINSLOW 5 7 THREAD FINISHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 11, 1944' 7 Sheets-Sheet a I INVENTOR- fi/e;;% Wzivs/ow ATTORNEYS May 14, 1946.

A. E. WINSL OW THREAD FIfiISHING MACHINE '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 11, 1944 exw m N\ W A May 14, v1946. A. E. WINSLOW 2,400,325 THREAD FINISHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 11, 1944 7 Sheets-Shet 5 INVENTOR uWQIQ/EC Wins/0w ATTORN EYS May 14, 1946. A. E.-WINSLOW I 2,4 0,325 I THREAD FINISHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 11; 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet e INVENTOR ATTORNEYS May 14, 1946. A. E. WINSLOW .THREAD FINISHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 11, 1944 "7 Sheets-Sheet 7' mn-lnmi' l FEMS? J/er INVENTOR Vfi'as/o w ATTORNEYS Patented May 14, 1946 THREAD FINISHING MACHINE Albert E. Winslow, Norwich, Conn., assignon'by mesne assignments, to Farrel-Birmingham Company, Incorporated, Ansonia, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application January 11,.1944, Serial No. 517,862

. 13 Claims. (01. 28-61) This invention relates to a thread finishing apparatus for the application of a coating or size which may be. desirable for various purposes.

Threads of different materials require'difierent finishing in order that the threads may be manipulated in such machines as knitting, braiding, weaving, or the like, where the threads are subjected to friction in the working of the threads into various fabricated articles. In the application of the coating or sizing heat is required for drying the sizing on the thread. The heat which is required for drying the thread in a machine which is in use today lacks control and the room in which such a machine is operated becomes excessively warm and uncomfortable especially in hot weather while at the same time there is an.

undesirable loss ofheat. In machines which are used today the assembling package upon which the sized thread is packaged usually supplies the pull on the thread to draw it through themaarrangement makes it difficult to control the speed of the ever growing package that an even feed may be had and much slip and lost motion with consequent wear on the friction driving belt is experienced. Further the slip makes stretching of the thread diiiicult.

One of the objects of this invention is to prowill be nicely controlled to conserve the heat and apply it to the threads without excessively heating the room.

Another object ofthe invention is to improve the drying of the coating applied to the threads.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement so that the heating chamber will have heating energy applied thereto only during the time that the machine is operating, the heating chamber being automatically turned off when the machine is stopped.

Another object of the invention is to provide an even tension suficient to provide an attenuation or stretching out of the threads as they pass through the machine and to maintain this cons ant.

Another object of the invention is to relieve the packaging means of any pulling oi the thread through the machine, making such packagin means merely a take-up for the thread after dressing. Another object of the invention is to maintain tension on the thread into the final package so that any stretch will be held in the thread.

. had.

Anotherobiect is to provide a simple threading up of one or moreends of the machine while run- Another object or the invention is to provide a convenient means for removing one of the nip rolls from the other for threading up the machine in the starting or its operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide positive nip or grip upon the thread for feeding the same at opposite ends of the machine.

r I chine in which the sizing is applied. Such an i Another object of the invention is to control the thread action by control of the temperatures which it is successively subjected to.

With these and other objects in view, the invention' consists of certain novel features of. construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the apparatus from the supply packages through the coating machine and to thetake-u-p creel;

Fig. 2 is a central sectional view through the coating machine;

Fig. 3 is an elevation partly in section illustrating the drive for the various rotating parts of the machine with drive to shaft 80 omitted;

'vide an apparatus in which the heating chamber Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the means of driving or supplying power to the main drive shaft of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the mounting of the heating chamber;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the machine with the heating chamber omitted and illustrating the Fig. 8 is a plan view partly in section illustrating in somewhat more detail and on a larger scale the delivery endof the machine; v

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8 illustrating the mounting of the delivery roll at the entering end of the machine illustrated in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a section of the same parts taken on line l0l0ofFig.8;

Fig. 11 is a sectional detail illustrating the drive for the traverse bar;

Fig. 12 is a lateral section through the brush chamber or the machine. Y

13 is an elevation illustrating a brush adjusting mechanism;

Fig. 14 is an elevation of a pair of supply packages;

Fig. 15 is a sectional view of the cooling unit;

and

Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical plurality of supply packages, which threads will 0 Ir'wcd and arranged in sideby-side relation to: the width 0: the machinamaking menace a web of threads for. feeding through the machine. The threads are also gripped by a pair of delivery 'rolls which travel at a surface speed greateiflt hesurface speed of the feed rolls. This results in a stretching of the threads between these two feed rolls. A coating or sizing is applied, the threads at this entrance and this sizing is=-' dried upon the threads as they advance through the machine. Drying is done by applying controlled heat to the web of threads and by also brushing the threads. The brushing serves to spread the coating or sizing 0n the threads and also serves by its friction on the threads to assist in the drying of them. Brushing takes place at several different points between the feeding in and delivery nip rolls and affects a polishing of the coating which is applied to the threads. As soon as the threads emerge from this coating machine they are chilled at a point below room temperature which serves in many case to limit the contraction of the thread which might occur after having been stretched. However, in order to positively prevent any contraction, each thread is maintained under a substantial tension, and packaged on a non-collapsible spool as it emerges from the machine.

The apparatus may be considered as being in three parts and in Fig. 1 of the drawings I designate A as a supply creel, B the coating unit or machine. and C the take-up or packaging creel.

- The yarns are maintained under tension from the time they leave the supply creel until they are wound on the packages at C.

The supply creel consists of a plurality of pins [6, l6 arranged in pairs upon which headless packages l1, l1 may be mounted. Each strand is drawn from one of these packages while the opposit end ll! of the strand from this package is tied onto'the lead-on end id of the strand on the companion package mounted on an adjacent pin. Thus as one package runs out the next package starts to furnish the supply. The operator replaces the run-out package with a fresh one tying the lead-off end in the fresh package to the tail end of the package which which extends through the worm gear 28 having a threaded bore to engage therewith. The worm 1 each of the shafts 2|, 2|, or 2|", a brush 32,

is operating. Thus, no stopping of this machine need occurfor furnishing a supply of the thread which is to be sized. This method of furnishing a supply is known in the textile industry.

The operation on the thread at the machine or unit B involves some novel steps as well as new apparatus andwill be explained and claimed in detail in this application. -The unit C provides a take-up for each strand or yarn end and while any take-up mechanism may be utilized so far 'as this machine is concerned which will maintain a tension ,on the yarn I have illustrated herein a novel 'form of take up mechanism which will be described and claimed in greater detail in my co-pending application Serial No.

which is carried by the slide 23 in turn vertically adjustable in guideways 24 which are fixed on the framework of the machine. The amount of adjustment is indicated by the scale 25 and datum 32', 32" is mounted for rotation as the shaft is driven.

At the feeding in end of the machine a pair of nip rolls 35 and 36 (see Fig. 2) are provided to grip the thread between them and prevent a slippage of the threads with reference to either of these rolls, while a similar pair of roll 3'! and 38 are provided at the delivery end of the machine so as.to draw the threads from the feed-in rolls 35 and 36 across the brushes 32, 32', and 32". The delivery rolls are driven at a surface speed sufficiently greater than the feed-in rolls to stretch the threads as they pass through the machine.

The upper rolls 35 and 31 of each of the pair 'of nip rolls are fixed while the lower rolls 36 and 33 of each pair are eccentrically mounted with reference to the center of these upper rolls 35 and 31. This mounting i's illustrated in greater detail for the set of rolls 31, 38 in Figs. 8 to 10, while the mounting of roll'36is similar thereto. The center shaft of th upper roll 31' is designated "and at either end a boss or eccentric portion 4| is mounted on this shaft. This boss 4| forms a bearing for the encircling annulus 42 which is mounted upon' it and which forms a part of the bracket 43. This bracket carries shaft 44 upon which the lower roll 38 is mounted. As this bracket 43 rotates about its bearings 4| the roll 38 will move toward or from the upper roll 31 indicated in dot dash lines in Figs. 9 and 10. These brackets at both ends of the roll are moved in unison by means of the segmental gears 45 formed on'the brackets which mesh with pinions 46, the pinions 46 being fixed on a shaft 41 extending from one side of the machine to the other. The shaft 41 is provided with aworm gear 48 (see Fig. 8) at one end which meshes with a worm 49 operated by shaft 50 through the means of a crank which engages the slot 5| in the enlarged head thereof. ,While the weight of this larger roll of the two feed or delivery rolls is such that each would swing about its eccentric mounting by means of gravity so as to firmly grip the threads, the worm gear :means provide a positive arrangement by which these rolls may be brought into firm nipping engagement with the threads to provide a good bite thereon. I

At the feed-in end of the machine the lower nip roll 36 is similarly mounted and swings into a trough 50 which contains a sizing bath 5| and thus serves to immerse the threads 52 as they lead into the machine beneath the roll 36, thence up over the roll 35 and toward the delivery rolls 31and38. e I,

It is desirable that all of the rotating. parts be operated in unison. The drive of the machine comprises a main drive shaft 60 (see Fig. 6) which is driven by a low speed motor 6| (see Fig. 4') through belt 62 onto the large pulley 63 which is connected to the drive shaft 60 through an overrunning clutch 64. There is also provided upon the shaft 60 a high speed drive which consists of a motor 65 which operates through a Reeves drive 66 from which there extends a belt 61 to a pulley lin 26 and is effected by the threaded shaft 2'! which is fixed upon the shaft 60. When this the larger roll of the delivery pair 38.

The inner end of this shaft 60 (see Figs. 3 and 6) is also provided with a pulley I4 over which runs a, belt I5 to drive a pulley I6 on shaft I1 at the opposite end of the machine upon which shaft 'I'I there is a gear I8 which meshes with a gear I9 on the shaft 60 (see also Fig. 7) for driving the upper feed-in roll 35. This belt I5 extends beneath idiers 8| and 82 which are mounted on brackets 83 and 04 (see Fig. 3) and adjusted about the supports 85 and 86 so-as to'exert the desired amount of tension on the belt I5 of the drive of these nip rolls for feeding and delivering the work. The arrangement is such as to sizes, or diameters of the roll that the delivery rolls will be driven faster than the feed rolls so as to exert from one to twenty per cent stretch in the threads which pass through the machine.

0n theshaft 80 there is a gear 01 which drives gear 88 on shaft 89 upon which the lower feed roll 36 is mounted and by means of which it is driven. I

In order to effect a drive with the brushes pulley 90 is providedon shaft 60 (see Figs. 3 and 6) which drives pulley 9| on shaft 2I" by belt 92. A second pulley 9?. on this shaft 2I" furnishes drive through belt 94 to pulley 95 on shaft 2| which may be tensioned by idler 96 on bracket top with side and end flanges I32. A'framework I33 serves tovmount this casing in position over the top of the brushes and is provided with a bar I34 which will engage the web-like form of threads extending through the machine and serve to press them downwardly so that they sioned by means of pulley I02 (see Fig. 3) adjustprovided for traversing the threads across the roll. At the delivery end of the machine, a

' spiral gear IIO (see Fig. 11) is mounted on the shaft 40 and engages spiral gear III to operate shaft II2 upon which the crank H3 is mounted so thatits pin Ht will extend into the slot of a guide II 5 so as to oscillate the bar I I6 which carries pins II'I back and forth tomove the threads 52 which extend between the pins back and forth across the roll. The feed-in end of the machine is provided with 'a similar traverse, there being there illustrated the spiral gear I I I, the shaft 2', and crank II3' 'In this case. however, instead of engaging the traverse bar I20 directly a pitman I2I is provided for engaging the crank pin II4'. which is pivoted as at I22 on the arm of a bracket I23 which bracket extends to the traverse bar I20 for oscillating the same.

The traverse bars H6 and I20 are mounted upon pins I25 at either end suitably supported by brackets I26. Pins III, are provided on each of these bars for leadingthe threads therethrough.

While the brushes serve to spread and dry to some extent the coating which is applied, to the thread a heating chamber is desirable and in this connection I have provideda heating arrangement designated generally I30 (see Figs. 2 and 5). This heating arrangement consists of a' dish-like inverted casing I3I having a closed will engage the brushes 32, 32', 32". these bars is positioned between adjacent brushes. Within this casing I3I I provide some suitable heating means which I have here shown as lamps I35 (see Fig. 2), known as infra red lamps, which afford a penetrating heat to the coating and effect a quick drying of the coating on the threads. Reflectors I36 may be provided to assist in projecting the heat from these lamps for the drying of the coating on the threads.-

This entire casing I30 may be lifted by means of a handle I3I which extends along the casing lengthwise thereof and affords an easy means to lift the casing if it is desired to enter the interior of this-coating machine for threading the same up. A suitable counterweight may be provided for the lifting of the casing.

In order to confine the heated air which may be picked up by the brushes I have encased each of the brushes in a sheet metal casing designated I40, I40, and I40" and prOVidBd an exhaust I4I, I4I', I4I" from the several chambers, so that the brushes may drive-the heated air doWnwardly pulling it into and through the spaces between the web of threads which is formed. In order to assist exhausting of the pipe, I have provided a fan 32 which will suck out the com-' mon pipe I43 to which each of these chambers I40, I40, and I40" is connected to provide greater efficiency in drying the threads.

Where synthetic fibers are operated upon it may be desirable to chill these fibers immediately that they have emerged from the heating and stretching operations preventing them from recovering or returning to their state prior to stretching. This chilling may be provided by means of a set of pipes I55 (see Fig. 15) which are colder than room temperature and which are .housed in a compartment I46 having a hinged cover I41 and through which the web of'threads is led. A suitable seal I48 is provided for passage of the threads into and from the compartment I46.

The arrangement issuch that for threading up a broken endan operator will use anelectrical control to throw the slow speed motor into operation and pull a thread from the supply creel and drop it. onto the web of threads which is entering themachine. The thread will feed through onto the top of the'lower feed roll where it may be picked up by the operator and then carried manually up over the top roll and over the brushes, the operator lifting the heating unit to some extent in order to provide access, the amount of lifting depending upon how deep into the machine from the frontit is desired to reach. The operator then, will'drop the end of the thread onto the web of traveling threads at In Fig. 16 I have illustrated a wiring diagram from the line to the two motors-6|, 65 and in- One of.

cluding the heating means I35. The switch I50 may be manipulated to cause operation of either the slow motor 6| or the fast motor 65 while the switch l| for-stopping and starting the motors is arranged ahead of the heating means I35 so that when energy is turned off to the motors the heating means is also turned off so that the threads when not moving cannot be subjected to excessive heat.

I claim:

1. In a thread finishing apparatus a pair of feeding nip rolls, a pair of delivery nip rolls, means for driving said pairs of rolls at speeds to cause a stretch of thread passing from one to the other pair, means for brushing the thread in its'passage from one pair of rolls to the other, a lid over the work, a guide carried by the lid for pressing the thread onto the brushing means, and

,means for movably mounting said lid to expose the work for ease in positioning the thread between said pairs of rolls and beneath said guide.

2. In a thread finishing apparatus a, pair of feeding nip rolls, a pair of delivery nip rolls, means for driving said pairs of rolls at speeds to cause a stretch of thread passing from one to the other pair, means for heating the thread in its passage from one pair of rolls to the other comprising a lid over the work, and means for movably mounting said lid to expose the work, and means for shifting one of the rolls of each pair for ease in positioning the thread between said pairs of'rolls.

3. In a thread finishing apparatus a pair of feeding nip rolls, a pair of delivery nip rolls, means for driving said pairs of rolls at speeds to cause a stretch of thread passing from one to i the other pair, means for heating the thread in its passage from one pair of rollsto the other comprising a lid over the work, and means for hingedly mounting said lid to swing on an axis parallel to the travel of the thread between said rolls to expose the work for ease in positioning the thread between said pairs of rolls.

7. In a thread finishing apparatus a pair of feeding nip rolls, a pair of delivery nip rolls, means for heating the thread in its passage from one pair of rolls to the other comprising a lid over the work, and means forhingedly mounting said lid to swing on an axis parallel to the travel of the thread between said rolls to expose the work for ease in positioning the thread between said pairs of rolls.

8. In a thread finishing apparatus a pair of feeding-nip rolls, a pair of delivery nip rolls, means for driving said pairs of rolls at speeds to cause a stretch of thread passing from one to the other pair, means .for shifting one of the rolls of each pair for ease in threading said apparatus, one of said feeding nip rolls being im- 7 mersed in a sizing bath.

4. In a thread-finishing apparatus a pair of feeding nip rolls, a pair of delivery nip rolls, means for driving said pairs of rolls at speeds to cause a stretch of thread passing from one to the other pair, means for heating the thread in its passage from one pair of rolls to the other comprising a lid over the work, and means for hingedly mounting said lid to swing onan axis parallel to the travel of the thread between said rollsto expose the work and means for shifting one of the rolls of each pair for ease in positioning the thread between said pairs of rolls.

5. In a thread finishing apparatus a pair of feeding nip rolls, a pair of delivery nip rolls, a rotatable brush means for heating the thread in its passage from one pair of rolls to the other comprising a lid,over the work, a guide carried by the lid for pressing the thread onto the brush, and means for movably mounting said lid to expose the work for ease in positioning the thread between said pairs ofrolls and beneath said guide.

6. In a thread finishing apparatus a pair of feeding nip rolls, a pair of delivery nip rolls, a rotatable brush means for heating the thread in its passage from one pair of rolls to the other comprising a lid over the work, a guide carried by the lid for pressing the thread onto the brush and means for movably mounting said lid to expose the work and means for shifting one of the rolls of each pair for ease in positioning the thread between said pairs of rolls and beneath said guide.

9. In a thread finishing. apparatus a pair of feeding nip rolls, a pair of delivery nip rolls, means for driving said pairs of rolls at speeds to cause a stretch of thread passing from one to the other pair, means for shifting one of the rolls of each pair for ease in threading said apparatus, the lower of said feeding nip rolls serving to direct the work into a sizing bath.

10. In a thread finishing apparatus a pair of feeding nip rolls, a pair of delivery nip rolls, means for driving said pairs of rolls at speeds to cause a stretch of thread passing from one to the other pair, means for heating the thread in its passage from one pair of rolls to the other comprising a lid over the work, and means for movably mounting said lid to expose the work for ease in positioning the thread between said pairs of rolls, one of said feeding niprolls being immersed in a sizing bath.

11. In a thread finishing apparatus a pair of feeding nip rolls, a pair of delivery nip rolls, means for driving said pairs of rolls at speeds to cause a stretch ofthread passing from one to the other pair, means for heating the thread in its passage from one pair of rolls to the other comprising a lid over the work, and means for movably mounting said lid to expose the work for ease in positioning the thread between said pairs of rolls, the lower of said feeding nip rolls servin to direct the work into a sizing bath.

12. In a thread finishing apparatus a pair of feeding nip rolls, a pair of delivery nip rolls, one

of each of said pairs of rolls being mounted to swing about an axis extending eccentrically relative to the axis of the other roll of the pair, means for driving said pairs of rolls at speeds to cause a stretch of thread passing from one to the other pair, means for shifting "one of the rolls of each pair .about the eccentrically extending axis to move the said one of the rolls to and from the other roll of the pair for ease in threading said apparatus.

13. In a thread finishing apparatus a pair of feeding nip rolls, a pair of--delivery nip rolls, one of each of said pairsof rolls being mounted to swing about an axis extending eccentricaily relative to the axis of the other roll of the pair, means fordriving said pairs of rolls at speeds to 4 cause a stretch of thread passing from one to the other pair, means for shifting the lowermost one of the rolls of each pair about the eccentrically extending axis to move the said one of the rolls IALBERT E. WDTSLOW. 

